Monday, March 30, 2015

I'm not sure if it's safe to use the term hungover, but that's how I feel after this past weekend. I had an absolute blast, but I was SO exhausted on Sunday. I managed to get a run in, and even so that's only because I was motivated to work off the bacon stuffed cinnamon rolls and cupcakes I ate. Other than that, I accomplished a big fat nothing, and Will had to make dinner and make me eat because cooking just wasn't going to happen since I had zero appetite after stuffing my face. Eh...the perfect baby shower was all worth it. More on the baby shower later.

Tomorrow is our second specialist appointment, which I want to go well, and still I'm sad that could mean it would be our last ultrasound. {Insert sad face} Obviously, healthy baby trumps all, but I just love seeing her, and pregnancy is like a long distance relationship- you just pine until the next time you see them. I feel bad that Will has class and can't come, but hopefully I can get video of it too. Half the fun is seeing his face watching her and hearing her heartbeat. Swoon. Okay, it's bed time. Will just rolled over in his sleep and said "I love you, my queen." It's time to snuggle up and catch up on that sleep I need.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Yay! I found something non-baby related that inspired me! I started this blog to remind myself that 'Perception Is Everything' no matter what we go through during our military life, and this is the perfect example of just how important that is. This post may be geared towards the military, but I think you may find that it can translate based on the entitled society that seems to be taking over these days. Unfortunately, entitlement is a problem much larger than this particular article, but that's a topic for a different day.

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Someone posted this article on Facebook knowing that it would incite a wildfire among military families, but it did the opposite for me and I think I'm the only one that agrees with it. As the title states, I do think that {some} military families need to reevaluate their sense of entitlement, and this Carl fella made some good points. As I discuss these points, remember that none of you lovely bloggers fall into the entitled category. You are all the most amazing military spouses that I have come across, and I think you can agree that there is a difference between appreciating community support and demanding it.

Point #1: Civilians don't 'owe' service members anything. Sure, a 'Thank you for your service' goes a long way with the soldiers, but Will would never even expect that and half the time we forget to ask for the discounts available to us. He receives a paycheck and some pretty okay benefits, and that covers what we are 'owed' by this country. On top of that, I don't know many jobs that foot the bill for things like career training and flight school. The flight school alone would cost us beaucoup bucks out of our own pockets if he trained in the civilian world, and he's also had countless other training and schools in the last five years. That adds up to a lot of extra compensation the way I see it, and for that we are thankful.

Point # 2: 'Toughest job in the Army/Navy/Air Force/Marine' stickers aren't cool. I would NEVER think that my military...er...situation is harder than Will deploying, training, or going through flight school, so the thought of displaying one of those stickers makes me cringe. Plus, as Carl stated: Are there sacrifices involved in a military lifestyle? "Yes. But especially when that military family chooses to re-up for another tour, they are like the hunter going after the bear the second time. They have voluntarily chosen that life with full knowledge of what they are getting into and decided that the pros outweigh the cons." I hadn't ever thought of it that way, but it's funny how many families you see that have re-enlisted, and yet still have the same complaints. The only reason I can think that people would do that is if they are the type to complain about any situation they are in.

Point #3: Military families complaining about not making ends meet are causing their own financial hardship. It's public knowledge that the soldiers receive a decent wage when you include BAH, BAS, Benefits, etc., and that wage even goes up during deployments. You can't put a price on being separated and the soldiers being in harm's way, but the military isn't the only career field that has a dangerous environment. Barring that, if a family, any family, can't live off one salary then I suggest the spouse goes and gets a job. I managed to find jobs each time we moved, worked until we could save up enough money to have a decent savings and investment money, and we also learned to live within our means. WE control our financial situation instead of complaining about what the military pays or demanding support from others. "The hard, unpleasant truth is that many of the problems some military families have are at least somewhat self-induced- by having kids too young."

I think the main point that is lost in the article while he brings up such hot button issues, is that we shouldn't be looking to civilians or communities for our 'entitlements'. The government signs up soldiers at such a young age that they need to be mentoring and preparing these soldiers for the deployments and hardships to come. Getting married and starting a family right before you deploy is romantic in the movies, but in real life love {and/or lust} is not enough to carry a family through without proper strategy.

I'm a firm believer that it's not what you say, but how you say it. Should this Carl character have had a better, more compassionate approach to this topic? Of course. But he wanted a reaction and he got it. With my opinions, I hope to show that if you want more, go out and get it. If you don't have enough 'support', go out and find it. There are jobs out there, and there is more support within the military community than any other community I've ever seen. Be grateful for what you have, and if it's not enough...what are you going to do about it?

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

I finally got around to entering my volunteer hours from the last ten months, and hot damn...now I realize why I was getting volunteer awards. I logged 278 HOURS, and that was me underestimating. Yeesh. No wonder I have been driving myself bonkers trying to get everything done. It has been an amazing learning experience, but I'm happy I will have a sweet little itty bitty excuse to NOT take a position next year. I actually made Will pinky promise me that he wouldn't let me join the board again because I don't trust myself. I will be happy to attend luncheons and volunteer for NORMAL volunteer shifts, but I know it's time to take a break.

Now I'm sitting here trying to think about something to write non-baby related, and it's next to impossible. Sure I have 100+ drafts saved up from my pre-pregnancy era, but my heart's just not in it. Said heart, has been completely taken over by CQB, and that's on top of the love that I already hold for Will. I can break into tears just at the thought of how much I love those too, and I'm not one bit ashamed by it. Not even ashamed by this picture that moves me to no end.

PS. I'm not pretending to sleep. I ain't no faker ;)

I'm sure I will find the motivation to talk about other stuff along the way, but please bare with me while I try to find myself in this transition. I know I want to share the home buying advice that saved us THOUSANDS, I have tons of recipes, I hope to make lots of memories with Will and our friends during the short period we have left of Flight school, and if you can think of anything you want to know about me or us, feel free to ask questions about anything. I have never done a Q&A in almost five years, so it's possible you have questions...or plausible that I just overs hare as it is. Either way I'm open, and appreciative of all of your support!

Monday, March 23, 2015

When I told my mom I was pregnant, she started asking me a million questions about all things baby, and it was one of the few times in my life I had to say "I don't know." Those of you that know me, know that's just not a phrase in my vocabulary, and she was particularly taken aback. I guess I've always been a bit of a know it all, but when it comes to this...it's a whole new territory. For the first time in my life, I'm pretty stumped. Perhaps the first picture we took together the day we found out is illustrative of how unprepared we feel...

Obviously, I'm devouring every pregnancy book, turning to any friend or family member that has a kid, and scouring the internet for articles, but I kind of trust you guys more than most. Whether you are a parent, sibling, or just have experience with kids, feel free to answer. I reserve the right to make my own choices, but ALL advice is helpful one way or another.

As a couple, what should we do before baby comes that we "won't be able to do?" I don't plan on changing our life completely and just plan on incorporating her into plans the way our families have always done with us, but I still realize that things will change. Plus, it just seems like a fun thing to share during this time. I'm thinking a baby bucket list should have stuff like run a 5k, visit a B&B, romantic dates, and whatnot, but we've already done these things while knocked up so please help me come up with some more ideas.

What are your must haves for baby? Everyone has a different opinion as to what the 'must haves' should be, so I want to know what all your must haves are.

Your best advice? I've gotten everything from use a boppy to avoiding peanut butter in the third trimester. {Did you stop eating peanut butter?} I know some people don't want everyone's two cents, but I think every experience can teach you something.

Non- baby related:Can you see the buttons/widgets on my sidebar bouncing? I click onto my blog, and they are bouncing like some Mexican jumping beans. It could just be a glitch on my end, but it's annoying the shizz out of me and when I google it all I get is information about bounce rates.

I know we will be fine. I mean, I knew nothing about buying a home or renting it out and we learned all that in six months. This is just the next life adventure, and the most meaningful one we will ever get to have. I may have a few small mental breakdowns along the way, but I think that's quite normal. Right? Please tell me that's normal...

Friday, March 20, 2015

Traveling with a group of people is usually more of a hassle than it's worth when everyone has their own agenda, but we have the BEST travel group ever. Well...mainly because they let me plan the whole weekend and trust me to make decisions based on everyone's needs. I try to find the most efficient accommodations, I take into consideration dietary needs/wants {vegetarians and picky eaters}, I plan for the night owls and us ol' fogies, and I even schedule nap time, because no matter what age...we ALL need nap time.

I knew this weekend was going to be extra great because Pensacola is fabulous in a shabby chic kind of way, and the McGuire's run is one of the most fun runs you could ever partake in. Even B-Ray who HATES physical activity said he loved it and wants to do more stuff like this, and that was before they started passing out the free booze too!

We all ran with amazing times ranging from Will at 22 minutes, me 27:36, and the slowest still in the low 30's. Yep, that's right- I ran under 28 minutes at six months pregnant. {Insert self high five} But to be honest, the after party is when the real fun starts, so we switched into our #Inappropes hats and shirts and commenced the party. I think I recognized a lot more people this year, because I was sober enough to recognize them. Always a plus side.

But as you can imagine...the highlight of a pregnant gal's vacation would most definitely be the all-you-can-eat BRUNCH buffet. We went to our fave Brunch spot on the beach, H20 Grill, and I got my moneys worth off that buffet for the first time ever. You can see pure joy in my face:

What can I say...We keep it classy ;) Everyone else drank their moneys worth, so it's win/win really. Did I mention we all piled in one vehicle for the trip in spite of the tight squeeze just so I could drive these fools back to Enterprise? Safety first.

I just hope we get lots of beach time this season. Who knows where we will be next and we most certainly won't have our gang anymore, so we are ready to live at the beach. I even bought a few new {much larger} tops to accommodate my bodily changes, and I plan to slather on lots of sunscreen to protect le baby. Bring it on, summer. Bring it on.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Maternity shopping is now a highlight of my life. Hangs head in shame. Who am I? Believe me, I'm shaking my head at the excitement it gave me, but it's true. A BIG part of our trip to Mobile, and maybe even the best part was that Will took me Maternity shopping.

Luckily, I didn't go too crazy because a lot of maternity stuff is either super outdated or it won't even fit me when I'm nine months. It's like it's all made for Amazon women or something. I mean, c'mon... I'm 5'3 {and a half} and the petite pants still don't fit. Get it together maternity designers {If we can even call them that}, you have ONE job.

I think I covered the basics, though. Tank tops, tunic tops, maxi dresses, pants, workout tops, BeBands, and most importantly- brasiers and bra extenders. I didn't need the extenders for the Maternity bras, but I wanted to get one or two cute ones from Victoria's Secret and the only way to get them to fit cup and rib width was with an extender. Not sure how I've never known about this miraculous little invention, but boy am I thankful I do now.

I've already surpassed the above 'bump' pictures, but I was just excited to wear some of my maternity items. I still can't wear the pants without them sliding off me yet, but I'm getting there. I'm sure I will be complaining about feeling 'huge' soon, so I guess I shouldn't rush it.

I'm sure all of this seems silly to all you non-preggers out there, since I would have thought a post about maternity clothes was skipable, but oh how the tables have turned.

Friday, March 13, 2015

TGI-M.Effin'-F! I'm so proud of myself that I turned down a volunteer meeting this morning, because I know I'm burnt out. No matter how bad I am at saying no, even I can't deny that sometimes it's just too much. Instead, I am kicking off our St. Patty's weekend by getting ready at a leisurely pace and I may even take the day off from working out. I'll be more rested for the 5K, and we've been eating so good this week, so I deserve it.

+ We have no clue when we are moving or if at all, since staying at Fort Rucker is now an option for us, but I've started packing anyways. I don't know how much is realistic to pack, but I've already packed two boxes of clothes I can't wear and that helped us break down the closet room. We are also purging along the way, so hopefully we will be able to fit everything in the truck when we move including an entire room of baby furniture we've never had before. Either way, I don't want to spend my life packing when I'd rather be playing with our newborn.

+ Check out those sweet new Ariat Boots I told you I ordered. I WON a free pair from Erika, a former high school classmate and now fashion blogger. I'm not gonna lie, it was super hard to narrow down which style I wanted and I had problems with finding the colors I wanted that actually fit me, but now that they are here it was worth the agony. I even think I want to have them monogrammed, hello, that's what we do in the South, but not sure what color I would do it. Milk chocolate, Ivory, Mustard, thoughts?

+ My hormones went hokey this week, so I'm now breaking out a bit. I know I can't complain in the grand scheme of things, and yet I am. I'm just thankful my dermatologist gave me topical Finacea, which is a more natural product to use during pregnancy. I can only imagine how bad it would be if I wasn't prepared.

Well, I hope you all have a lovely weekend. Our 5K may be in the rain, but I don't think that will stop us! At least it will be warm and rainy if anything, and the highlight of my weekend is the Brunch we are going to on Sunday. Bring on the all you can eat BUFFET, and I will be going full on 'eat for two' or three that day. No shame ;)

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

I'm not sure when it happened, but I noticed that blogger has tracked over 500,000 views. I also know that blogger isn't accurate when tracking, but it's still fun to see. Those of you with millions of views...don't judge me. I'm just excited and happy to have stuck it out blogging for this long, and it might be the longest running 'hobby' I have had other than photography. I am perfect at neither, but they both make me happy. Cheers to that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wedding showers, baby showers, and the like are very interesting. There is no reason to fork out money for someone else and their life decisions, and yet we all do it. I've attended countless of these events and never questioned it happy to be involved in such blessed occasions, and yet now I feel super duper weird creating registries and receiving gifts. Don't get me wrong, I've created three registries and written a whole post on le baby blog going into specific detail. I just still reserve the right to have a smidge of humility about it.

On a higher note, things are coming along quite nicely with the nursery! We've chosen the colors, furniture is coming in while others are being painted, and I've even designed the layout. Not that anyone is surprised that I've jumped into this full force...

I actually had no clue which way to go with everything, but I found the rug above and that's all the inspiration I needed. Let's just say, CQB is going to have a one of a kind nursery and I wouldn't have it any other way. Well, I wish I didn't have to give up my closet room, but I guess she's worth it ;) Now where to put all my shoes...

Now check out the registry post, because I spent a MONTH working on it, and Will and I have scoured every store multiple times to try to get it right. #firstworldprobs

Monday, March 9, 2015

I really feel cheated that time is going by so fast. I know a lot of mom's say this, but I'm still getting used to the idea of being knocked up so I can't even wrap my head around the mom part yet. When am I supposed to feel like a mom? When she's in my arms? For now I'll simply enjoy an awesome little alien that has taken over my tummy and enjoy the ride. Nonetheless, I am already looking forward to Mother's Day. *winkwink*

How Far Along: 24 Weeks!

New Experiences: I've had the 'flutters' for a few weeks, but CQB is finally KICKING! The best part was that Will finally got to feel her. We were laying in bed with his hand on my stomach and every time he felt her we would turn to each other in awe. Experiencing that together was a highlight of my life.

Total Weight Gain:8.o pounds, and it's great. I'm gaining weight on the inside while losing weight on the outside. They say a pregnant woman burns more calories cooking a baby on the couch than a man lifting weights, and the fact that I still work out is icing on the cake. I'm upping my calories like I'm supposed to, but I haven't felt the desire to 'eat for two' and barely have any cravings.

Cravings: Not much except for a sweet tooth the last week. I'm trying to stick to fruit, but it's too easy to reach for candy since I bought some at the Dollar Store like a dummy. whoops

Symptoms: I lose my balance which is actually pretty funny, but mostly it's just a struggle to get up.

Maternity Clothes: Still not wearing them. I've actually gone through my closet and I'm trying to wear everything I can before it won't fit anymore. Don't worry though, I have already packed two big boxes worth of stuff that doesn't fit. Mainly bras, bathing suits, and 'inappropriate' stuff ;)

Mood: My mood is fine, but I am feeling a bit of anxiety trying to juggle it all. Go figure.

Best Moment This Week: Other than the kicks, we had our 3rd appointment and we got to hear her heartbeat. Pretty crazy...I don't know how they tell the difference between hers and mine.

Exercise: Still going strong, and I actually outran a friend the other day. She usually stays on the treadmill longer than I do, but I guess I am more conditioned to running outside. We had to stop several times AND I ran more than a mile over what she did. We have a 5K this weekend, so I've got to be ready to run! Whodathunk I'd run a 5K while six months pregnant.

On My Mind: We've torn apart the house to turn the guest bedroom into the nursery and in turn my beloved closet room has become the guest bedroom whompwhomp, so now we have to find some semblance of order AND get my projects done before the first baby shower. My goal is to have the crib bedding finished (yes, I'm making the crib set, because I'm so picky) and finish painting the changing table that my grandpa made me. If only the naked crib wasn't taunting me...

Over all, we feel pretty blessed. Will keeps thinking things are going too smooth with this pregnancy, but all we can do is take what comes at us. We only have 3-4 months left, so technically... it's all downhill from here. I just hope we can soak it all in and enjoy every moment. This could should be the only pregnancy I get to experience, and as such, I plan on experiencing it to the fullest extent. Happy SIX months to us, and happy {early} St. Patty's to you guys. I'm already going green!

Friday, March 6, 2015

Man, we need multiple homes for rent, because I wish that we could give all of our applicants homes. They were so polite, had glowing references, and all seem to be wonderful people that made it hard to say no to. On the flip side...I loved getting to pick the cream of the crop for our first tenants. One less thing I have to worry about during this pregnancy!

Obviously that went well, as did the rest of the events this week. Yes, everything was on a tight schedule, but it all came together nicely with our Fairy Godmother Prom Dress Giveaway kicking off Saturday. Most of the dresses were worn on the local pageant circuit so you can imagine the quality and pizazz. If only they had this when I was in high school.

To further prove how important this community is to us at Fort Rucker, we held the annual Sweetheart bingo on Tuesday. We treated four hundred of the local senior citizens to Bingo, breakfast, and eighty prizes including a snazzy TV. I told the winner that the only stipulation was that she had to carry it out herself, but she didn't believe me for some reason ;) It was so amazing to see the smiles on their faces and have them tell us that while they usually feel forgotten, we gave them a day they will never forget.

You see that table full of prizes up there? We hit up the Wiregrass area and got ALL of them donated! Can you imagine living in a place so wonderful that only a handful of businesses tell you no when you solicit free stuff? I still can't believe 70+ prizes were that easy to get, and bless this wonderful sweet town and everyone in it.

In addition to all the wonderfulness, we held a contest to see who had been married the longest, and the spring chickens below have been married for SEVENTY-TWO years. I'm sure you are thinking they got married as babies, but he also won oldest man at the ripe old age of seventy-four, so they are just that lucky. When asked what kept them going for seventy-two years, she said love and communication...he said always saying yes m'am.
I think we know who was probably right.

Now it's time to relax, and by relax I mean clean the house, paint baby furniture, grocery shop, and basically catch up on life. We have a week until we go to Pensacola for the McGuire's 5K, less than one month until our first baby shower, three months left of work, and {hopefully} at least four months until CQB makes her appearance. Dear Mr. Time...please slow down.